5 trade partners who could convince Willson Contreras to leave the Cardinals

Milwaukee Brewers

It sounds like the Cardinals are more open to the idea of trading within their division under Chaim Bloom, at least during the rebuilding phase of this Cardinals turnaround. While the thought of Contreras in a Brewers' uniform is odd at best, he may be swayed to go there to play with his younger brother, William.

The Brewers have been the class of the NL Central for years now, and they aren't appearing to be slowing down any time soon. While Andrew Vaughn proved to be a fun reclamation project in 2025, his presence certainly shouldn't prevent the Brewers from seeking an upgrade at first base, and the older Contreras brother would certainly be one.

The Brewers lack power in their lineup, and while Willson Contreras isn't a big-time power threat, he certainly would provide them with a boost in the slugging department. Between opportunities at first base and designated hitter, Contreras can add the kind of thump the Brewers need to get over the hump next October. While they've proven they can handle the NL Central during the regular season, they clearly need to add more if they are going to be a legit World Series contender.

Contreras is only due money through 2027, with a club option for the 2028 season, and his contract is very manageable for any size club. Milwaukee could really use his bat, and if the Cardinals are willing to sign off on it, I do wonder if Willson would as well.

I would guess that both Willson and William would love to play together, but perhaps they prefer matching up with one another instead. If they were to unite, they would form a very potent top of the Brewers' lineup alongside Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and Christian Yelich, and with the Brewers' pitching, that is a team that could truly make noise in October.

I do think the Cardinals can get a good return for Contreras, and if the Brewers want to be the team to grab him, it would certainly take a strong offer from their camp to woo the Cardinals. It's already painful enough that they have to go through a rebuild, but gifting Contreras to the Brewers and watching them succeed with him would add to the mess, so they would need something valuable to make that worthwhile.